2020 Forest, Mississippi Tornado
Tornadokid123 presents... 2020 Forest, Mississippi Tornado |type = EF5 tornado|image location = Kiro EF4.jpg|image caption = The Forest, Mississippi EF5 at peak intensity in a small subdivision in Forest.|date = February 13, 2020|times = 1451 pm UTC-1702 pm UTC|touchdown = About 6 miles South-Southwest of Jackson, Mississippi|winds = 335 mph in Central Forest (Recorded)|injuries = 304|fatalities = 4|damage = $5.73 billion (2020 USD)|areas = Central Mississippi, Western Alabama.}} Gallery Rowlett tornado dec 26 update.jpg|The tornado around 5 pm outside of Silas, Alabama. 635868141088720500-1227-rowlett-garland-tornado-damage-24 94234 ver1.0.jpg|Aerial view of High-End EF3 tornado damage in Jackson, Mississippi. Garland Texas EF4 tornado.png|The tornado at around 7 pm outside of Silas, Alabama. FEMA - 44359 - Oklahoma tornado destroyed home.jpg|Low-End EF2 damage in Southern Jackson. April 27, 2011 Mississippi tornado damage.jpg|A mangled car outside of Jackson, Mississippi. Tushka, Oklahoma tornado April 14, 2011.jpg|The tornado nearing Silas, Alabama at EF5 intensity. EF4 damage in Springfield, Illinois.png|High-End EF4 damage just outside of Forest, Mississippi. 220px-April 27 2011 Philadelphia, MS Tornado Damage.jpg|EF5 damage to The U.S. 80 Highway in Forest, MIssissippi. Louisville MS tornado 5.jpg|The tornado at EF5 intensity in Forest, Mississippi. The EF2 tornado that hit Washington, D.C..jpg|The tornado at EF1 intensity in Pearl. High end EF2 damage in New Orleans.png|EF2-3 damage in Jackson, Mississippi. Rope at sunset.png|The tornado at its most widely observed stage as it photogenically roped out outside of Silas, Alabama. 220px-Roping tornado.jpg|Another photo of the roping tornado. La Grange, WY Tornado Rope Out.jpg|Another picture of the roping beast. 220px-Phil Campbell tornado damage2.jpg|Catastrophic EF5 damage in Forest, MIssissippi. NWS 2013 Moore EF5 damage.png|EF5 damage to a brick home. EF3 tornado; Sep 25.jpg|The tornado close to the Mississippi-Alabama border at EF4 intensity. Norman EF3 1.png|One of the closest photos to the monster tornado. Norman EF3.jpg|One of the few photos of the tornado in its wedge stage. EF1 damage to a home in New Orleana.png|High-End EF1 damage to a home in Pearl. Moore Oklahoma tornado 1.png|The tornado crossing through Jackson. Moore, OK F-5 Tornado (1999) 2.jpg|The tornado destroying a neighborhood in Forest. Moore Tornado 1.jpg|The tornado at EF5 intensity in Forest. Moore 26.jpg|The closest photo ever to the beast. This photographer had her car thrown 145 yards but miraculously she was unharmed. Hattiesburg MS Tornado 2.jpg|The tornado in Jackson, Mississippi at High-End EF3 intensity. Hattiesburg MS Tornado 4.png|Another photo of the tornado in Jackson at EF3 intensity. Meteorological Synopsis On the morning of February 13, 2020, the Storm Prediction Center issued a rare High Risk of Severe Weather for Northern Alabama, Central Alabama, Eastern Mississippi, Extreme Southern Tennessee, and Extreme Northwestern Georgia. This included a 45% hatched area for tornadoes in Eastern Mississippi. Tornado Information The Forest, Mississippi tornado of February 13, 2020 was a deadly, devastating, and costly EF5 tornado that traveled about 120 miles through Mississippi and Alabama on a high risk day. 4 fatalities occurred, 1 in Jackson, Mississippi, 1 in Forest, Mississippi, and 2 in Silas, Alabama. This tornado had also been on the ground for 25-30 miles before warning sirens were sounded, followed by a Tornado emergency. This tornado also was part of a large Tornado outbreak that affected the Deep South. Jackson and Pearl, Mississippi A small Supercell moved into Pearl, Mississippi and the National Weather Service issued a Severe thunderstorm warning for Warren and Hinds counties. This included Jackson, Mississippi. A sudden spurt of intense rotation produced a weak Tornado just west of Pearl, Mississippi . No sirens were sounded. Causing minimal damage, the tornado continued through a mobile home park at High-End EF1 intensity, injuring 1 person. The tornado continued into the Southeastern edge of Jackson, Mississippi , causing EF2-3 damage as it rapidly intensified. It demolished a brick home at High-End EF3 intensity, killing 1 occupant. Flowood, Mississippi The tornado, now an EF4, moved through the far eastern suburbs of Jackson and continued into Flowood, Mississippi , causing catastrophic damage to farms, urban neighborhoods, and businesses in town. A Tornado Emergency was declared for Flowood, Mississippi . 4 people were critically injured when a large tree was uprooted and it crushed a home. An entire subdivision was leveled at High-End EF4 intensity and 34 people were injured. Winds here were estimated at 190-200 mph. The tornado exited Flowood , weakening to a Low-End EF3 and causing significant damage to locations Northwest of the city of Brandon, Mississippi . Brandon, Mississippi Weakening further, the tornado entered the Northern suburbs of Brandon, Mississippi at EF1 intensity. It uprooted around 150 trees in a forest just outside of the city. The tornado then intensified to an EF2, ripping the roof off of a Well-Constructed concrete structure and injuring 4 people. As the tornado Re-Intensified to a Low-End EF3, a mother was taking a walk with her 2 and 4 year old children in a local park. Note that no sirens were going off yet. She was knocked over by a 143 mph gust and as she fell she saw the massive wedge tornado about 3 miles from her location, moving at 55 mph. She ran for a nearby grocery store with her children as the storm intensified to an EF4 once again. As the Mile-Wide tornado approached from less than half of a mile away, a small tree was toppling over, about to crush the small children. However, their mother hurled herself in front of her children, using all of her strength to hold the tree up. She finally lost strength as the tornado had passed and let go of the tree, leaping out of the way. Her children sustained minor injuries from flying debris. "I shouldn't be here", she later said. "It was destroying everything and yet I wasn't even hit by debris. That tree should have crushed me. I would have rather had it be me dead than my children hurt. God blessed me that day, and I cannot express my gratitude in any possible way". ] Pelahatchie, Mississippi The tornado continued on its path of destruction, striking the small town of Pelahatchie, Mississippi at EF5 intensity, and a Tornado Emergency was declared for the small town. 65 homes were completely destroyed and leveled and another 13 were swept away. A United States Postal Service building was violently leveled and 12 critical injuries were reported. Maintaining EF5 intensity, the tornado moved through rural farmland, killing a small amount of livestock and sweeping away numerous farmhouses and a chicken coop. Winds were recorded at 302 mph, according to a D.O.W. The tornado then neared the small city of Morton, Mississippi. Morton, Mississippi As the tornado ravaged Morton, Mississippi , shrinking in size but not intensity, it inflicted "absurd" damage to basically the entire city. Hundreds upon Hundreds ''of structures were completely swept away, leveled, or severely damaged. 104 people were injured in Morton. Power lines were ripped from the ground and thrown for miles. Vehicles as large as School Buses were mangled beyond recognition, never found, set on fire, wrapped in power lines, and thrown for as far as 3 miles. Extreme chaos took control of the city. Some homes were practically thrown through the air and a debris ball was measured at 3.7 miles in width. And if you note that the tornado was only 1/8 of a mile wide, the width of the debris ball is ''INSANE. ''Wind speeds were recorded at 319 mph. Now, you may think that ''this was bad, and trust me, you are correct, but things would get much worse for the nearby city of Forest. ] Forest, Mississippi The tornado now became a mile wide again as a worst case scenario unfolded for the small city Forest, Mississippi . An 8,000 square foot concrete structure was lifted into the air and thrown for about 10-20 yards before hitting the ground. 56 injuries occured here. UNFINISHED